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Bed bug articles and explainers

Short, sourced articles that each answer one question about bed bugs. Because each one links back to the private checker, you can move straight from reading to checking.

How to use these articles

Each article answers one practical question, such as how to tell a bed bug from a flea or what the eggs look like. We keep the articles short and use plain words. As a result, you can read one in a few minutes and know what to check next.

However, an article cannot identify an insect for you. For that reason, each one points back to the private five-question checker and to the guide on preserving a suspected bed bug. If doubt remains, a pest professional can look at the specimen in person.

What the articles cover

The articles fall into six groups. For example, lookalike pieces compare bed bugs with insects that people often mistake for them. Inspection pieces, in particular, show where to look in a bedroom, a mattress or second-hand furniture.

Similarly, travel pieces explain how to check a hotel room and your luggage. Health pieces cover bites and what bed bugs can and cannot do to you. Housing pieces set out what tenants and landlords should know in the UK.

How we check the facts

We check every figure and health claim against a primary source, such as the NHS, a university entomology page or a public health body. Where sources disagree, we say so and use careful words like "usually", because the evidence varies. Each article then lists its sources at the end, so you can read them yourself.

We also date every article. When we change the facts in one, we show an updated date beside the original one. Therefore, you can always see how fresh the advice is before you act on it.

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